User:Akruljev/sandbox

The Instructional Technology Resource Centre (ITRC) is a multimedia support facility located in the Support Services Building at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. The ITRC provides advice and assistance to faculty and staff who are interested in the concept of eLearning and in integrating technology into their courses. All of the work that the ITRC supports and produces is done for educational purposes. Instructors may contact the ITRC through email or phone, or they may drop-in and visit in person.

About
The ITRC mainly works to provide support for OWL, Western's online learning management system. This system, which is powered by Sakai, houses Western's official undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as independent projects worksites. The ITRC also provides support for the Blackboard Collaborate plug-in used in OWL. In addition to OWL related help, the ITRC also works on creating interactive learning materials, which are used in classes at Western. Sometimes the ITRC's innovative work is showcased at conferences and is featured in publications such as Western News.

Student Consultants
The ITRC student consultants are all full-time undergraduate students attending the University of Western Ontario. They work collaboratively as part of a team of support specialists responsible for providing support to instructors. They work full-time in the summer and part-time during the school year. All of the projects that the students work on during their time at the ITRC can be used and showcased in their personal online portfolios.

Projects
The ITRC collaborates with instructors to create interactive, technology-based instructional materials, enhancing the overall learning experience. Although the ITRC accepts proposals and works on projects year-round, the majority of project requests are received and completed throughout the summer months from May-August. These projects usually require the use of vector-based images, animation, sound, video, and programming. The ITRC does not charge instructors for the services it provides for academic purposes. As such, all of the projects must have education learning objectives. As soon as a project is accepted by the ITRC supervisors, an ITRC consultant is assigned as the project lead. The project lead is in charge of providing technical expertise, assisting his/her colleagues, meeting deadlines, and arranging dates for future meetings.

Current Hardware and Software
The ITRC is up to date with the latest technologies. Instructors may borrow the equipment or use it during drop-in hours. The following is a list of all the hardware and software at the ITRC.

Photography and Video

 * Digital SLR Camera
 * HD Digital Video Cameras
 * Green Screen

Audio Recording

 * Microphones
 * Multitrack Mixer

Scanners

 * Flatbed scanner
 * 35mm slide scanner

Workstations

 * Apple iMacs (dual boot Windows and OS X)
 * Apple Mac Pro Workstations

Video Production

 * AfterEffects
 * ScreenFlow
 * CamStudio
 * Final Cut Studio

Audio Production

 * Audacity
 * Pro Tools
 * Soundtrack Pro
 * Soundbooth

Graphics and Web Development

 * Adobe Captivate
 * Adobe Creative Suite
 * Blender
 * Articulate Storyline 1 & 2